The Ethics Commission of the Union Cycliste Internationale –UCI-, an independent body within the structure of the International Federation, has announced sanctions against two officials of the Bulgarian Cycling Federation -BCF-. They are President Evgeniy Balev Gerganov and Vice-President Danail Petrov Angelov, both implicated in a series of ethical violations and ongoing governance issues within the national federation.
The investigation was launched following several complaints received by the Commission, which concluded that both individuals had breached multiple articles of the UCI Code of Ethics. These included general principles, the protection of physical and mental integrity, and the handling of conflicts of interest. In Angelov’s case, he was also found responsible for manipulating official competitions.
Abuse of power and conflicts of interest
The violations related to Article 5 of the Code focused on abuse of authority. According to the Commission, both Gerganov and Angelov engaged in actions aimed at consolidating their personal control over the federation, including internal structural changes and retaliation against critics. These actions, the ruling states, placed their own interests above the applicable rules.
In addition, both failed to comply with Article 7.4, which refers to the proper management of situations involving conflicting interests. They participated in decisions in which they held personal ties or stood to gain direct benefit, without taking any steps to prevent ethical breaches.
Disregard for verbal abuse
Article 6.4 of the Code, in conjunction with Article 2.1 of Appendix 1, was breached due to their involvement in incidents of intimidation and verbal assault within the cycling environment. These behaviours affected several members of the community, and neither Gerganov nor Angelov took action to prevent or address them. The President’s failure to report the incidents was also deemed a separate violation under Article 3.1 of Appendix 1.
The Commission highlighted that such acts not only compromise the safety and well-being of those involved, but also reflect a serious lack of responsibility on the part of the leadership. It stressed the duty to proactively prevent and respond to any form of psychological abuse within federation structures.
Competition manipulation
In the specific case of Danail Petrov Angelov, he was also found to have violated Article 8.1 of the Code of Ethics by irregularly altering start lists and facilitating timing anomalies during official events. These actions granted unfair advantages to certain athletes, directly undermining competitive fairness.
In view of the seriousness of the violations and the roles both officials held within the Bulgarian Cycling Federation, the UCI Ethics Commission decided to impose the following sanctions: Evgeniy Balev Gerganov was fined 10,000 Swiss francs and suspended for two years from holding any position within the BCF or any other cycling-related entity, and from organising or taking part in the organisation of any cycling events. Danail Petrov Angelov received a similar sanction, with a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs and a two-year suspension.
The UCI stated it takes note of these decisions, which remain subject to appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport -CAS-, and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of cycling.
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